I always like things that are a little different so I was really excited to stumble across the My Funky Camera …fun stuff for photogs. I have my eye on one of the camera straps (maybe I will add it to the ole’ Christmas wish list)! How fun to add a little spice even to your camera! Definitely not a necessity but definitely fun!
This is my favorite shelf in the fridge! Every now and then I just need a good fix of chocolate milk. I do prefer to make my own because I do not like a lot of chocolate in my milk but just the right amount! Picky, I know! Everyone needs a special treat now and then!
Charis and I sat down to color for a bit this morning and I came across this page as I was looking for something to color. It made me think of my wonderful fabulous husband! So Hubby, I thought I would color a picture for you (Charis helped a little as well)! Charis kept saying, “Mama coloring a picture for Dada”! 
You’ve got to be creative to keep the spunk in your marriage with little ones! I am not sure how spunky a colored picture is (especially with Grover sprinkling hearts on our heads) but I was thinking about you Dada! We love you!
Look what I bought! We all know that I have a real obsession when it comes to fabrics well I think that the problem has finally gone overboard! A lady from one of the blogs that I frequent decided to sell her scraps (that is right her scraps) on Etsy this week. I know I know! I have scraps of my own so why buy another persons scraps! Well, I bought them because they are cool scraps! I know, this was not flying with the hubby dearest either. A lot of the fabric that I like is really pricey and this seems like a great way to have pieces of the fabrics that I love for a fraction of the price. I am really anxious to see what I get. I have several thoughts for uses already probably some Christmas gifts (can’t mention that because the receivers might be lurking out there), small little tiny pieced hand quilts and of course I will use some for embroidery appliqués. I will let you know when the package arrives for sure! What is the old saying? One mans junk is another mans treasure!
I think that having kiddos makes you live life in the most real sort of way! When you invite people into your home and the kiddos are roaming around you never know what might come out of their mouths and people get to see who you really are and how you live your life. Maybe I have not mastered the art of hiding all when people come over but to be truthful I hope that I never do master that. When people come over I just want them to see me…I don’t have it all together and with two little ones I do not have time to even pretend like I have it all together (this is hard for me). I think that is a sweet blessing though of having little ones…no hiding it is just out there for all to see. Before the kids I would of spent all morning cleaning the house and preparing a most incredible lunch etc. This morning though Charis needed attention as well as Cai and we had some sweet mommy kiddo time together that if I was pretending to be who I am not I would of missed out on. Instead I made Chicken Salad last night in between the temper tantrums (night time will do that) and the wanting to read stories (thank you Daddy for some quality kiddo/story time). This morning it was kiddo time and however the house looked when our guest arrived well that is how it was…we were living our day and our guest stepped into our day. Yes, it was crazy and no it was not gourmet (it can’t be when your two year old is talking about poop during lunch) but hey that is where I am in life…welcome to my real life! Oh, lunch was still wonderful and my guest got to see just where I am in life and what it looks like…what it really for real looks like and I even think that she enjoyed herself! I like learning to be me! It is hard sometimes to let little and big things go but the kiddos are helping me to see who I really am without all the fake stuff that the world teaches.
I do hope that these little touches of color in my day will continue to grow. This intense heat makes me a little iffy on their life span but I am trying to keep them watered so we shall see how they do. Brad and I had a huge yard day this past Saturday. Brad worked hard at trimming some trees and removing some bushes as well as cleaning out the gutters and removing some poison ivy from the house (it was growing up the side of the house and we were not sure at the time if it was PI or not but turns out that it was…sorry Honey!). Meanwhile I was busy cleaning up the back yard by removing some vines growing on the fence and trimming some things as well as planting my new found flowers. It is wonderful to have some color back in the tidy yard to go with the brown grass; here is hoping that they will grow where they are planted!
So I am back to my big ole’ pile of sewing that I am excited to accomplish…someday! I finally finished the monogram on this blanket for my sis-in-law Becca that she has been oh so patient in waiting for. As for the rest of the pile it will take time but I am excited to be back in the sewing world and making new creations as well as pattern creations. The pile is to large to mention all that rest there but I am most excited about pants (cherry fabric) with a little ruffle at the bottom for Charis, a new purse for me and a winter blanket for Cai. Fun fun fun! I am off to sew!
I spend a lot of my day encouraging Charis to be obedient to me, asking her to look at me and asking her to listen to me. Recently the Lord has shown me that this is how He spends His days with me as well. I constantly feel that God is calling me to my family. I am a little slow to really pick up on this and follow through but I am slowly accepting it. When Charis was first born I spent a lot of my time in wonderful and good activities outside our home just filling my schedule which meant less time with Charis. Recently I have found myself just constantly searching for some wonderful place or thing or even person to invest my time in. I have spent a lot of time praying and talking with friends about what God might have for me (where does He want to use me). I am really slow sometimes but I just really feel His call to my dear husband and our sweet kiddos. I am called right now to be His light to the kids even at their tender ages. I think that this is hard for me because the Christian world says that I need to be out doing and conquering souls for Him. I am still called to this as it is the great commission but I am just called to it on a different scale…I am to be His salt and light in my home. I am slowly accepting this and truly trying to work on it with the kids and just loving them well. I am looking for ways to come along side Brad more and bring encouragement into his days as well. I want to be obedient to where God is calling me but being obedient is sometimes hard. I have a great reminder in my day though as every time I ask Charis to be obedient I hear the Lord calling me to obedience as well.
